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en-USFirst Rule of Financial Wins: Avoid Losseshttp://www.wisebread.com/first-rule-of-financial-wins-avoid-losses
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<p>The task of accumulating wealth and ensuring long-term financial security is often discussed alongside the idea of winning. And while it's fine to think of financial planning this way, it may be just as important to simply <em>avoid losing</em>. Smart investing involves looking for gains over time, but also escaping costly losses when the market goes down. Let's take a look at some ways we can &quot;win&quot; financially simply by avoiding losses.</p>
<h2>1. Avoid overpriced stocks</h2>
<p>The last thing you want is to buy a stock and immediately see it take a dive. If you are a young investor with a long time horizon, you can usually get away with putting your money in the market at any time. But it is important for anyone to avoid buying stocks when they are overvalued and perhaps due for a correction.</p>
<p>It's tempting to buy a stock if shares have been moving upward, because we all like to invest in companies that are doing well. At a certain point, however, share prices can be too high based on the company's earnings. It's important to learn the basics of how to tell if a stock is fairly valued.</p>
<p>A price-to-earnings ratio is an important consideration in valuing a stock. A P/E ratio is the share price divided by earnings-per-share (EPS). A P/E of more than 25 is on the high side, though P/Es vary by industry. Take time to learn what typical P/E ratios are for the sector you're looking to invest in.</p>
<p>Another rule of thumb to keep in mind: If a stock has been consistently setting new 52-week highs, it may be due for a pullback.</p>
<p>If a company's share prices seem overvalued, it's wise to practice patience or look elsewhere for better value. This will decrease your likelihood of losing money on the investment.</p>
<h2>2. Know when to cut your losses</h2>
<p>One common piece of investing advice is to stay the course and avoid panicking when shares of stock fall. This is sensible, but it should be balanced with an awareness of when to cut your losses.</p>
<p>There's a fine line between being patient and sticking with a dud investment for too long. It's OK to stick with an investment if the company's underlying financials are still strong, but if the company is seeing shrinking profit margins and revenues, or has completely lost its competitive advantage, it may be time to cut and run. In particular, hanging onto investments during major market downturns can result in massive losses that will take years to recover from. Some financial advisers suggest selling an investment if it drops more than 10 percent in a short amount of time. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/10-signs-a-stock-is-about-to-tank?ref=seealso" target="_blank">10 Signs a Stock Is About to Tank</a>)</p>
<h2>3. Be truly diversified</h2>
<p>Most investors know to avoid investing in too much of one thing. Diversification of investments is a key way to avoid a big loss. But sometimes, it's possible to think you are diversified when you aren't. For example, you may think you are diversifying your portfolio by investing in both U.S. based and international stocks. But have you considered that many U.S. companies already have a huge presence internationally? And even if you think you are diversified with various investments and asset classes, many investments still perform similarly, meaning that you're not as diversified as you think.</p>
<p>Financial advisers have varying thoughts on the ideal way to diversify. Of course, everyone's portfolio will differ depending on their age, risk tolerance, and projected retirement year. But the basic tenet applies: Don't be too invested in one area.</p>
<h2>4. Watch out for investment fees</h2>
<p>When you buy and sell stocks and other investments, you'll likely be stuck paying a variety of fees. There are transaction costs for every trade, and maintenance fees and other costs for mutual funds and ETFs. These are costs that are taken out of money you invest, so you not only lose money immediately, but lose out on its potential gains. This can add up to thousands of dollars in the long run.</p>
<p>Savvy investors know how to invest well while avoiding high costs. Discount brokerages such as Fidelity and Scottrade allow you to buy and sell stocks for as little as $4.95 per trade. Mutual fund companies including Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and others have become more cognizant of fees, and are increasingly offering funds with super-low expense ratios. (Generally speaking, it's best look for funds that charge less than 1 percent for expenses.)</p>
<p>Keep your costs low when you invest, and you'll find that avoiding these &quot;losses&quot; can boost your gains.</p>
<h2>5. Understand when the markets may be due for a dip</h2>
<p>It's very difficult to time the stock market, and for young investors, it's a good idea to just invest as soon as you can. But it's also possible to avoid big losses by recognizing when the markets may be due for a correction. If it seems like stocks are priced too high based on their earnings, that's one bad sign. A slowdown in economic growth is another, and you should be wary of a spike in inflation and interest rates, too. It's also worth noting if companies are downgrading their earnings predictions for the upcoming quarter, as that could be a sign that business executives are pessimistic. If you recognize any or all of these signs, it may be worth waiting a while before investing too heavily.</p>
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<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/tim-lemke">Tim Lemke</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/first-rule-of-financial-wins-avoid-losses">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-7">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Personal Financeappsbudgetingcutting expensesenergy efficientfeesinsuranceinvestinglosingsavingspendingstockswinningTue, 14 Nov 2017 09:31:09 +0000Tim Lemke2053314 at http://www.wisebread.com4 Money Moves to Make the Moment You Win the Lottohttp://www.wisebread.com/4-money-moves-to-make-the-moment-you-win-the-lotto
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<p>This past June, $612 million went up for grabs in the lottery. As the pot grew, so did the dreams of ordinary Americans, many of whom hoped their lucky set of numbers would be the ones that lead to overnight riches.</p>
<p>Still, no matter how high the payout, a staggering seven in 10 people who receive a windfall <a href="http://www.huver.com/Misc_Resources/Windfall%20Nefe.pdf">blow through it within a few years</a>, according to recent research by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).</p>
<p>If you're one of the fortunate few who finds him or herself with a winning lottery ticket, and you want to hold on to that cash, check out our list of four must-make money moves for lucky lotto winners.</p>
<h2>Try to Remain Anonymous</h2>
<p>Instant riches can come with unwanted attention from long-lost friends and relatives, from scammers looking for a piece of the pie, and from incessant salesmen. Unfortunately, there are only six U.S. states &mdash; Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina &mdash; that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. Still, for winners outside of those states, there are steps a winner can take to decrease the amount of attention they receive.</p>
<p>Several additional states <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-01-15/should-lottery-winners-names-be-secret-states-debate-issue">allow prize money distributions to a trust</a>, and allow a third party trustee to collect the funds without disclosing the name of the ticket holder. Some states will also allow anonymity if winners expect a high risk of harm.</p>
<p>If you don't live in one of those states, however, winners typically have 180 days (check the specifics of your state to be sure) to claim their winnings. You can always try to wait it out, before submitting your winning ticket, in hopes that media attention will die down after a good period of time has passed.</p>
<h2>Don't Make Any Sudden Moves</h2>
<p>Those new to wealth can sometimes be surprised by just how easy it is to blow through a seemingly endless supply of cash. As a <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/6-ways-of-improving-your-lottery-odds" target="_blank">lottery winner</a>, you may have the financial resources to make your dreams a reality, but only if you take the time to fully assess those dreams.</p>
<p>The danger zone for money mistakes is six to 12 months after an influx of sudden money, according to the NEFE study mentioned above. Resist the urge to immediately splurge. Set limits with friends and family. Don't immediately quit your job. Instead, take some time to start thinking about how you want your life to look for the long term.</p>
<p>While you wait, stash your newfound money somewhere safe &mdash; like in a checking or money market account &mdash; until you're better able to take stock of what you now own, and what you want to do with it.</p>
<h2>Plan for the Future</h2>
<p>A windfall can easily be spent in a single fell swoop &mdash; $40,000 on a new car, for instance or $400,000 for a new house. A financial boon may buy boats and houses, but it's the more pragmatic purchases that will make the largest long-term impact.</p>
<p>Take retirement, for example. The sad truth is, the majority of U.S. households aren't on track to to <a href="http://crr.bc.edu/briefs/how-do-inheritances-affect-the-national-retirement-risk-index/">adequately fund their golden years</a>, according to research released by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. A savvy lottery winner who foregoes a fancy new car in lieu of a well-managed investment account, meanwhile, could very well set him or herself up for life.</p>
<p>It can be hard to delay gratification, especially when there's an unexpected windfall on the table. Still, consider the numbers. A $40,000 windfall could grow to more than $150,000 if invested for 20 years at a 7% rate of return. A $400,000 boon could grow to a staggering $1.5 million (assuming the same variables). Either way, slow and steady can add up to an even greater fortune, if the money is left to compound over time.</p>
<h2>Talk to an Expert</h2>
<p>Still, you may not know how to manage a large influx of funds, especially if you've never done it before. (And how many of us have?)</p>
<p>A financial planner can help you make prudent spending choices with your new wealth, while also creating a long-term savings and investment strategy. In fact, recent research in the Journal of Personal Finance has shown that investors who work with financial planners are much more likely to be prepared for retirement when compared with those who make money decisions on their own.</p>
<p>Why? Turns out we're our own worst enemies when markets get choppy. Despite the conventional wisdom we've heard all our lives (buy low, sell high, of course!), we get scared by the storm and sell when the market drops. Then, we calm down and buy when it's back on the rise.</p>
<p>A financial planner, meanwhile, can help keep you calm when markets get rough, improving the odds you'll stay in the market when you most want to bail (even though you shouldn't).</p>
<p>Even if you don't win the lottery (your <a href="http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-are-your-odds-of-winning-the-lottery/">chances are one in 14 million</a>, by the way), the above advice is sound for any type of financial windfall, be it an employee bonus, a lawsuit payout, an inheritance, or anything else. Stay calm, take time to think over your options, and when you're ready, consult a professional.</p>
<p><em>You just won the lottery! How will you spend it?</em></p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/alaina-tweddale">Alaina Tweddale</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/4-money-moves-to-make-the-moment-you-win-the-lotto">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Personal Financeinheritancesinvestinglotterymega millionsPowerballretirementsavingswindfallswinningMon, 25 Jul 2016 10:30:08 +0000Alaina Tweddale1756967 at http://www.wisebread.com 5 Investors With Better Returns Than Warren Buffetthttp://www.wisebread.com/5-investors-with-better-returns-than-warren-buffett
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<p>When you're referred to as the &quot;Sage&quot; or &quot;Oracle,&quot; you know you're doing things right.</p>
<p>Born in 1930, Warren Buffett is regarded as one of the most successful investors in history. The Oracle of Omaha gets a great deal of attention because he's not only down to business, but also down-to-earth. Despite his multi-billion fortune, he still lives in his modest home in Omaha, Nebraska. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/7-stocks-warren-buffett-loves-and-you-should-too?ref=seealso">7 Stocks Warren Buffett Loves - And You Should Too</a>)</p>
<p>However, there are several critics that claim that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/business/the-oracle-of-omaha-lately-looking-a-bit-ordinary.html?_r=1">Buffett's performance</a>, particularly since 2009, is more myth than reality. Here are five investors who give Buffett a run for his money.&nbsp;(See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/self-made-billionaires-investment-lessons-from-their-success?ref=seealso">Self-Made Billionaires: Investment Lessons From Their Success</a>)</p>
<h2>1. Carl Icahn</h2>
<p>Just like the entertainment world has the &quot;Colbert Bump,&quot; the world of investments has the &quot;Icahn Lift.&quot; The Icahn Lift describes the surge in stock price when Carl Icahn starts acquiring shares in a company.</p>
<p>Born in New York City, Icahn has, in some ways, an arguably better record than Buffett. From 1968 through 2011, Icahn grew his original $100,000 investment in his firm at a <a href="http://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/T052-C000-S002-carl-icahn-better-investor-than-buffett.html">31% annual rate</a>, while Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had &quot;only&quot; a 20% annual growth rate. This statistic doesn't offer a full picture of each investor's stock picks, but it's a meaningful point of comparison.</p>
<p>Despite his impressive record, there are two main reasons why Icahn is not as popular as Buffett. First, he is one of the most well known &quot;corporate raiders&quot; or &quot;shareholder activists.&quot; Picture a financial Robin Hood of sorts that steals from the greedy, inept managers to give back to the shareholders. By following this strategy, Icahn has challenged several well-known businessmen, such as former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons, and received plenty of criticism from the media. Second, Icahn's quirky ways and contrarian investment strategies aren't as easy to digest for the average investor as Buffett's charming comments and no-nonsense investment style.</p>
<p>But at the end of the day, money talks. And Icahn's cash is very loud!</p>
<h2>2. George Soros</h2>
<p>Born in Hungary in 1930, George Soros is a renowned hedge fund manager and one of the world's greatest investors.</p>
<p>Unlike Buffett's slow-and-steady approach, Soro's strategy is to take bold, yet very profitable, bets. He is best known for his September 16, 1992 transaction, when he made a single-day <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/george-soros-bank-of-england.asp">gain of $1 billion dollars</a> by short selling the British pound (a short sale is a bet that the value of something will drop). This successful bet earned him the nickname of &quot;the man that broke the Bank of England,&quot; and cemented his reputation as one of the premier currency speculators in the world.</p>
<p>Soros continues to make headlines. For example, as of September 2014, his investment firm held a <a href="http://www.gurufocus.com/news/276957/george-soros-20-billion-bet-on-a-stock-market-collapse">$2.0 billion bet</a> that the U.S. stock market would collapse. Will he be right again and make a huge fortune? Only time will tell.</p>
<h2>3. Peter Lynch</h2>
<p>While you may not his name, you've heard one or more of his investment mantras:</p>
<ul>
<li>&quot;During the Gold Rush, most would-be miners lost money, but people who sold them picks, shovels, tents, and blue-jeans (Levi Strauss) made a nice profit.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;</li>
<li>&quot;Know what you own, and know why you own it.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;</li>
<li>&quot;Never invest in any idea you can't illustrate with a crayon.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;</li>
<li>&quot;All the math you need in the stock market you get in the fourth grade.&quot;</li>
</ul>
<p>Peter Lynch's books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743200403/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0743200403&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=wisbre03-20&amp;linkId=W6HQ6GUHNRFLI5YR">One Up On Wall Street</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671891634/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0671891634&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=wisbre03-20&amp;linkId=IF4BQWGOTZ36FU3M">Beating The Street</a> have sold millions of copies and are considered mandatory reading for any investor, regardless of level of expertise.</p>
<p>But Lynch is not all theory. He has the business acumen to back up his investment advice. He was at the helm of Fidelity's Magellan Fund, one of the world's best known actively managed mutual funds from 1977 to 1990.</p>
<p>Lynch's record is very impressive. If you had invested $1,000 in Fidelity's Magellan Fund during Lynch's tenure, you would <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/betting/pros/lynch.html">have earned $28,000</a>. During those 13 years, Lynch reportedly beat the S&amp;P 500 Index (a key benchmark of the stock market) in 11 of those 13 years. He transformed $18 million in assets into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-lynch-charlie-rose-investing-2013-12">more than $14 billion</a>.</p>
<h2>4. John &quot;Jack&quot; Bogle</h2>
<p>Buffett has laid out two clear&nbsp;<a href="http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/2013ar/2013ar.pdf" style="text-decoration:none;">instructions in his will</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Deliver cash (no shares because those will all go to charity) to a trustee for his wife's benefit; and<br />
&nbsp;</li>
<li>Advise the trustee to put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in Vanguard's S&amp;P 500 index fund.</li>
</ul>
<p>If Buffett is willing to put 90% of the cash in his will in a Vanguard fund, then the performance of that company must be pretty darn good. When you talk about Vanguard, you have to talk about John Clifton &quot;Jack&quot; Bogle. He is the founder and retired CEO of The Vanguard Group.</p>
<p>Under Bogle's leadership, Vanguard became the second largest fund company, commanding $428.4 billion, or 8.83% of all mutual-fund assets by Bogle's retirement in 1999. The number one spot that year went to Lynch's Fidelity.</p>
<p>Bogle has long been a champion of low-cost index investing. He advocates sticking to index mutual funds without commision charges and with low turnover of assets. Given Buffett's lackluster performance since 2009 and decision to leave 90% of his will in a Vanguard index fund, it looks like Bogle's &quot;plain vanilla&quot; ways may have the last laugh.</p>
<h2>5. Michael Steinhardt</h2>
<p>Last but not least, Michael Steinhardt is a Wall Street legend. From 1967 to 1995 (that's 28 years!) his hedge fund returned an <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelnoer/2014/01/22/michael-steinhardt-wall-streets-greatest-trader-is-back-and-hes-reinventing-investing-again/">average of 24.5% annually</a>. What's even more impressive about this return is that it was possible even after Steinhardt's 20% cut of the profits.</p>
<p>To put this in perspective, let's imagine that you had $10,000 back in 1967:</p>
<ul>
<li>If you had invested it all in Steinhardt's hedge fund, you would have ended with $4.8 million by 1995.<br />
&nbsp;</li>
<li>On the other hand, the same $10,000 in the S&amp;P 500 would have been worth $190,000.</li>
</ul>
<p>Steinhardt achieved his remarkable annual returns with a wide variety of financial instruments, ranging from stocks to bonds to options. Unlike other investors, he is equally proficient in short and long time horizons.</p>
<p>What does Steinhart himself have to say about Buffett? &quot;He is the greatest PR person of recent times and he has managed to achieve a snow job that conned virtually everyone in the press to my knowledge,&quot; he claimed back in 2011. Only a man with Steinhardt's Wall Street record would have the <em>chutzpah</em> to make such a remark.</p>
<p><em>Are there other investors that should be on this list? Let us know in the comments!</em></p>
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<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/damian-davila">Damian Davila</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/5-investors-with-better-returns-than-warren-buffett">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-2">
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</div> </div><br/></br>InvestmentinvestinginvestorssuccesswinningThu, 19 Feb 2015 14:00:07 +0000Damian Davila1290211 at http://www.wisebread.comSecrets to Finding and Winning Facebook Promotional Giveawayshttp://www.wisebread.com/secrets-to-finding-and-winning-facebook-promotional-giveaways
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<p>Remember how I told you about my <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/sweeping-101-what-the-real-winners-know">secret hobby as a sweeper</a>? Even with an increasingly busy schedule, I make time to enter sweepstakes for about 20 minutes each day. My efforts have definitely paid off; in the past four months, I have won a video camera, books, and an iPad 2 &mdash; all from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> promotions! Like most other kinds of sweepstakes, you can&rsquo;t win if you don&rsquo;t play. However, there are some unique aspects of Facebook sweepstakes that are important to note if you're going to participate.</p>
<h3>Finding Facebook Giveaways</h3>
<p>Many of the better giveaways can be found with the same tactics used to track down other promotions. (Read more on <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/6-ways-to-win-free-stuff-from-blog-giveaways">how to find blog giveaways</a>.) Because Facebook promotions aren&rsquo;t as heavily advertised, however, and the entry time can be much shorter (both increasing your winning odds), you will need to use some extra resources to find them. The best way to find most is through the <a href="http://www.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests">WildFire App website</a>. It will have all of the promotions running with that app (the most popular at this time), and you can sort by sweepstakes or contests, as well as ending time. Also, since many Facebook giveaways are for local businesses, you can pay less than $30 for membership to a site like <a href="http://sweetiessecretsweeps.com/">Sweetie&rsquo;s Secret Sweeps</a>, and it will list promotions specific to your state, only.</p>
<h3>Entering Facebook Giveaways</h3>
<p>Since many of the rules for promoting and running a giveaway on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php">have changed recently</a>, there is a bit of confusion on how to enter successfully. Many believe that asking entrants to &ldquo;Like&rdquo; the company&rsquo;s fan page as a requirement for entry is illegal. Actually, you can require it, but it can&rsquo;t be the sole method of entry; they would still need to fill out some kind of form. Also, companies aren&rsquo;t supposed to have you comment or post on a wall for the sole method of entry; they are encouraged to use reliable third-party promotional applications to take your info.</p>
<p><img width="390" height="245" alt="" src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/u148/Sweepstakes%20Like%20button.jpg" /></p>
<p>(<em>Why is this important?</em> Many entrants mistakenly forget to &ldquo;Like&rdquo; a company when entering a giveaway, but companies are allowed to choose a winner only from fans. This means that if you skip this important step, you&rsquo;re entry won&rsquo;t count!) To find out what is required of you to submit a legitimate entry, read the official rules for all Facebook sweepstakes.</p>
<p>One other thing to note is that many Facebook giveaways are hidden to anyone who doesn&rsquo;t &ldquo;Like&rdquo; a promotion. This is called &ldquo;Like-gating&rdquo;, and while it is legitimate, you have to remember that the act of Liking will not count as entry alone. (You still need to fill out that form!)</p>
<h3>Calculating Your Odds</h3>
<p>In the traditional sweepstakes world, tens of thousands of entrants compete for the same prize. Some promotions, like the <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/dream-home/index.html">HGTV dream home giveaway</a>, can generate millions of entries. Facebook giveaways, on the other hand, usually offer more modest prizes, having a shorter timeframe for entry, and aren&rsquo;t as heavily advertised. You can actually see how many people may be eligible to win by looking at the number of &ldquo;Likes&rdquo; a company has. (ABC Company, for example, has only 9,000 fans at the time of a giveaway ending. Assuming that not all of those fans entered the giveaway, you can assume that your odds are pretty good!)</p>
<p><img width="182" height="89" alt="" src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/u148/number%20of%20likes.jpg" /></p>
<p>Remember that many entrants have skipped the &ldquo;Like&rdquo; step &mdash; making your odds even better.</p>
<h3>Sweepstakes vs. Contests</h3>
<p>Because Facebook is all about the social aspect, it seems to have a higher-than-average percentage of contests on the site. (Contests are giveaways that require some level of engagement, like submitting a photo or essay, and then has voting or judging to determine a winner. Sweepstakes, on the other hand, are completely random. This means that if you aren&rsquo;t a fan of having to ask friends to vote, or you aren&rsquo;t particularly creative, you might not do as well. For those who want to enter purely as a numbers game, sweepstakes &mdash; or those promotions that are completely random &mdash; are for you. If you have a large social circle and are a talented photographer, for example, contests may be more your thing.</p>
<h3>Being Notified as a Winner</h3>
<p>Per the terms of Facebook, companies cannot use Facebook to tell you that you&rsquo;ve won. Assuming that you filled out the entry form correctly, they should have some other method to contact you (email, phone, etc.). This means that you don&rsquo;t have to keep checking your Facebook wall or messages to make sure that you didn&rsquo;t miss a big win. You should find out in a more reliable way.</p>
<h3>Privacy Issues</h3>
<p>You can often tell if a person enters many Facebook giveaways by looking at their wall. It isn&rsquo;t necessary to notify the world of your entries, however, especially if the sponsoring company doesn&rsquo;t quite line up with your image. (When I first got started, a wall post went up letting the world know about a trip I entered to win &mdash; sponsored by a condom company.)</p>
<p>Once you have &ldquo;Liked&rdquo; a company and proceed to enter, you will be prompted to allow Facebook to access your information. This won&rsquo;t share anything with your friends, or even post anything to your wall. It is the only way to proceed with the giveaway, however, so make sure you hit &ldquo;Allow&rdquo; for your entry to continue.</p>
<p><img alt="" style="width: 509px; height: 262px;" src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/u148/Request%20for%20Permission.jpg" /></p>
<p>Upon submitting their sweepstakes form, there is usually a small checkmark at the bottom that says &ldquo;post to wall&rdquo;. You can always uncheck this if you don&rsquo;t want your wall cluttered with hundreds of giveaway notifications.</p>
<p><img alt="" style="width: 499px; height: 150px;" src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/u148/Uncheck%20share%20on%20wall.jpg" /></p>
<p>Many promotions will also prompt you to share with your friends. You can also &ldquo;skip&rdquo; this step. (Once you receive confirmation of your entry into the giveaway, you are under no further obligation to share, post, or refer.)</p>
<p><img width="605" height="254" alt="" src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/u148/Sweepstakes%20on%20Facebook%20%282%29%20-%20Mozilla%20Firefox%208132011%20100742%20AM.jpg" /></p>
<p>Also, if you don&rsquo;t want your &ldquo;Interest&rdquo; profile littered with beer companies or strange hobbies, you can always &ldquo;Unlike&rdquo; a company after the end of the promotion. (Just go to the company&rsquo;s fan page, and look for the &ldquo;Unlike&rdquo; link at the bottom left-hand side of the page.)</p>
<p><img width="196" height="258" alt="" src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/u148/Pepto-Bismol%20%282%29%20-%20Mozilla%20Firefox%208132011%20100112%20AM.jpg" /></p>
<p>One final piece of advice I can give regarding Facebook giveaways is to get in while the action is hot. Facebook is still a relatively new way to promote sweepstakes, and so the competition isn&rsquo;t nearly as stiff as more traditional methods of entry (online forms at a sponsor&rsquo;s site, blog giveaways, Twitter parties, or mail-ins). Even if you don&rsquo;t use Facebook to communicate with friends and family, I recommend setting up an account with stiff privacy settings for the sole purpose of entering to win!</p>
<p><em>Have you won anything cool on Facebook?</em></p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/linsey-knerl">Linsey Knerl</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/secrets-to-finding-and-winning-facebook-promotional-giveaways">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-8">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Extra Incomefacebook giveawaysprivacysocial mediasweepstakeswinningMon, 15 Aug 2011 09:48:16 +0000Linsey Knerl662848 at http://www.wisebread.comBe a Winner with Your Dinner (Or not)http://www.wisebread.com/be-a-winner-with-your-dinner-or-not
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<p>I would never advocate buying fast food just to win something.<span> </span>If you are already driving thru, however, it&rsquo;s something to consider.<span> </span>And with many of the prizes having less to do with purchase and more to do with timing, it&rsquo;s open season for everyone (even those who&rsquo;ve sworn off Biggie Fries for life.)<span> </span>Here&rsquo;s the scoop on the best promotions going on right now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Hardees / Carl&rsquo;s Jr</strong>. &ldquo;<strong><a href="http://www.makeityourgameday.com/">Make it Your Gameday Sweepstakes</a>&rdquo;</strong> &ndash; This is a game where you can (almost) win back what you eat.<span> </span>Tens of thousands of prizes include mostly small fries and drinks.<span> </span>Game codes can be obtained by buying food or sending away for free game codes, which means one code costs a $.42 postage stamp. <span> </span>With no really big instant win prize to vie for (top prize is only worth $113) this isn&rsquo;t going to make anyone rich. They do have a second chance sweepstakes with a few gift cards worth $1500 from the Sports Authority and Best Buy, which someone is guaranteed to win. Ends October 23, 2008. <strong>Bottom line:<span> </span>Don&rsquo;t go out of your way to win this one.</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Kraft / Burger King &ldquo;<a href="http://www.sundaeorshake.com/">Is it a Sundae or Is it a Shake</a>?&rdquo; Giveaway &ndash; </strong>These are the kinds of promotions I like.<span> </span>No purchase needed.<span> </span>Simply register to vote and let &ldquo;The King&rdquo; know how you vote.<span> </span>(You can choose not to opt-in for future mailings.)<span> </span>While there&rsquo;s no biggie prizes, it is a quick, easy entry for hundreds of $10 itunes or BK gift cards (plus 20 80GB iPod Classics).<span> </span>They will let you know instantly if you&rsquo;ve won.<span> </span>Promotion runs through 9/28/08. <strong>Bottom line:<span> </span>Good for a quick try.<span> </span>Enter daily without a penny out of pocket. </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>T.G.I Friday&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="http://www.emipowered.net/tgifbbq/register/">Awesome BBQ Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game</a>&rdquo; &ndash; </strong>Similar to the Burger King promotion.<span> </span>This doesn&rsquo;t require any purchase or game piece.<span> </span>Simply register to find out if you are an instant winner of hundreds of small prizes (hats, shirts, and $5-10 restaurant gift cards.)<span> </span>They also include free appetizer and desserts with purchase as &ldquo;prizes.&rdquo;<span> </span>The sweepstakes grand prize is a trip to the 19<sup>th</sup> Annual Jack Daniels Invitational BBQ and year&rsquo;s supply of TGIF frozen food.<span> </span>Enter by Sept. 30. <strong>Bottom line:<span> </span>OK for die hard BBQ fans or someone looking for a quick, cheap prize. </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Wendy&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="http://wendys.eprize.net/twistedfrosty/index.tbapp">Twisted Frosty</a>&rdquo; Giveaway &ndash; </strong>10,000 instant winners of a $3 Wendy&rsquo;s GC in this one.<span> </span>No purchase necessary.<span> </span>One grand prize of a $1,000 Wendy&rsquo;s Gift Card.<span> </span>Ends September 30<sup>th</sup>. <strong>Bottom line: Odds are good, very good.<span> </span>Hope you like Wendy&rsquo;s! </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Subway &ldquo;<a href="https://scrabble.subwayfreshbuzz.com/main.aspx?bhcp=1">Scrabble</a>&rdquo; Game &ndash; </strong>Similar to the McDonald&rsquo;s Monopoly fad, this is a Collect-and-Win game.<span> </span>Codes are on any 6&quot; sub, footlong sub, 21oz drink, 32oz drink or 44oz drink, or by mail in request.<span> </span>(Free codes have been reported by signing up for the Subway newsletter.<span>) </span>Hundreds of prizes, ranging from $5 Subway cards to $100,000.<span> </span>Promotion ends October 13<sup>th</sup>. <strong>Bottom line:<span> </span>Don&rsquo;t spend what you don&rsquo;t have.<span> </span>If you&rsquo;re dining out anyway, take your chances on winning $5 back, but don&rsquo;t hold your breath for the new car. </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Orange Julius &ldquo;<a href="http://cashncali.com/">Cash and Cali</a>&rdquo; Giveaway &ndash; </strong>The smoothie giant is offering up several prizes in its instant win promotion (including 1,000 $5 GC, beachwear, and cash.)<span> </span>A grand prize drawing for 10K is also in the running.<span> </span>No purchase is necessary if you click on the &ldquo;Get a password here&rdquo; link at the bottom left.<span> </span>Annoying flash-based website lets you turn off the music (thank you.)<span> </span>Promotion ends Nov. 15<sup>th</sup>. <strong>Bottom line:<span> </span>If there&rsquo;s an Orange Julius you like to frequent, give this one a try.<span> </span>No money out of pocket, just the time it takes to load the entry page&hellip;.. </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Red Robin &ldquo;<a href="http://www.redrobininstantwin.com/login.asp">Dealicious Three of a Kind</a>&rdquo; Game &ndash; </strong>The quick scoop on this giveaway is this:<span> </span>Enter without purchase, pop in your info (I use <a href="http://www.roboform.com/">Roboform</a>), and see if you win a $10 Red Robin Gift Card.<span> </span>Easy, peasy, people. <strong>Bottom line:<span> </span>It doesn&rsquo;t get easier than this, and with 1,000 Gift Cards up for grabs, you might score a free lunch.</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are several other fast-food promotions going on.<span> </span>(Too many to mention here.)<span> </span>And while you must use your judgment on whether to enter, the winnings can be sweet.<span> </span>(For more information on sweepstakes, <a href="/sweeping-101-what-the-real-winners-know">see my previous tips</a>.)<span> </span>Eat healthy, and hope for the best!</p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/linsey-knerl">Linsey Knerl</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/be-a-winner-with-your-dinner-or-not">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>GiveawaysFast FoodpromotionssweepstakeswinningSat, 30 Aug 2008 03:57:25 +0000Linsey Knerl2383 at http://www.wisebread.comSweeping 101: What the Real Winners Knowhttp://www.wisebread.com/sweeping-101-what-the-real-winners-know
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi, my name is Linsey, and I’m a sweeper.<span> </span>It is sometimes difficult to admit, but I belong to that persistent group of individuals who go to considerable lengths to enter sweepstakes.<span> </span>I also win fairly regularly. My recent winnings include a bicycle, a home automation system, 2 satellite radios, hotel stays, cell phones, gift cards, cash, DVD’s, spa visits, clothing, baby items, video games, gaming systems, office supplies, a digital camera and printer, a trip to San Francisco, and so much more!<span> </span>Winning is more about knowing than anything else, so I’m going to give you the basics to get started.<span> </span>You can’t win if you don’t enter!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What is a sweepstakes?</strong><span> </span>Simply put, a sweepstakes is a random draw of entries for a prize.<span> </span>Generally sponsored or paid for by companies wishing to promote their products or services, sweepstakes are a billion dollar marketing tactic by thousands of companies a year.<span> </span>You should never have to purchase anything to enter.<span> </span>If a sweepstakes requires a UPC code, special form from a product, or a “winning game piece” there will always be an alternate means of entry, or it is not a legal sweepstakes. If entry into a sweepstakes requires an entry fee or raffle ticket purchase, it is not a true sweepstakes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Where do I find sweepstakes?</strong><span> </span>While sweepstakes are simply hard to avoid these days, there are some very good resources for finding all the good ones in one place.<span> </span>The top sites that sweepers use are <a href="http://www.online-sweepstakes.com/">Online-Sweepstakes</a> and <a href="http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/">SweepsAdvantage</a><span> </span>Both are very good resources with much different formats. Other places to find sweepstakes are in magazines, email newsletters, grocery stores (the liquor aisles usually have tons), and local radio stations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>How do I get started? <span> </span></strong>While all you really need to get started is a computer and some extra time, there are some tricks to the trade that you should know.<span> </span>First, get a separate email for your sweepstakes entries.<span> </span>While the chances of spam aren’t that much greater (assuming you are only entering legitimate sweepstakes), you will receive some sponsor newsletters as a condition for entry into some of the better sweepstakes.<span> </span>You really don’t want that cluttering up your work or personal inbox.<span> </span>Also, make sure you have a physical mailing address set up for your entries.<span> </span>Some prize fulfillment companies do not ship to P.O. boxes, as they want to guarantee “one prize per household” rules.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What tools will I need?<span> </span></strong>I’m a big fan of the <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/">Firefox</a> browser with the <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1269">Fasterfox</a> add-on.<span> </span>This saves my pages for quick viewing later, and if you are entering some of the same sweepstakes daily, this will save you time.<span> </span>(Just be sure to clear everything weekly or more to avoid PC clutter and security issues.)<span> </span>Also, I have been using the free version of <a href="http://www.roboform.com/">Roboform</a> for filling out all of my forms quickly.<span> </span>This doesn’t violate the terms of most sweepstakes regulations which prohibit automated entry, as you are manually entering the contest by loading the page and hitting submit.<span> </span>(Some sweepstakes, especially those sponsored by Microsoft specify “manually keystroked” entries.<span> </span>This just bugs me, so I sometimes skip them.)<span> </span>I do want to point out that the newest version of Firefox doesn’t yet support Roboform, so you may want to use the previous version until it is updated.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>How do you have time to do this?<span> </span></strong>I make time.<span> </span>Seriously, like anything else, I maximize time spent entering to get the biggest bang for my buck.<span> </span>I only enter for things I want, need, or can sell for a nice chunk of cash.<span> </span>I spend 30-45 minutes a day during my morning coffee or an afternoon snack entering the sweepstakes that are ending the next day, and I sometimes glance through the instant wins for things I really want.<span> </span>By being selective but persistent, I have a good chance of getting in entries and not ending up with some junky prize that I have to <a href="/how-to-get-rid-of-your-junk">make room for later</a>.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>How long before I win something?</strong><span> </span>I don’t know.<span> </span>But I will say that as a general rule, it will take at least 6 months to really see the fruits of your labor.<span> </span>Or you may be one of those really, really unlucky people that don’t ever win anything.<span> </span>But I tend to think that those people just aren’t entering all that often, or they give up after a month or two.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What about taxes?</strong><span> </span>Pay them.<span> </span>You should get a 1099 for any prizes valued over $600.<span> </span>You should also be an honest person and figure the value (true fair market value) on your other winnings.<span> </span>Claim it as unearned income on your return, and pay up.<span> </span>It really is no big deal for most people.<span> </span>My trip to San Francisco cost me $120 in taxes on a trip valued at over $2500.<span> </span>While this will all depend on your tax bracket, it is still a really awesome deal!</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>I hate sweepers.<span> </span>Aren’t they just greedy people trying to get stuff for free from hard-working companies?<span> </span></strong>I’m sorry you feel that way.<span> </span>I love getting stuff for free, and that is my main motivation for entering.<span> </span>But most companies love sweepers.<span> </span>Entering sweepstakes exposes me to thousands of new products and offerings that I may not have otherwise been aware of.<span> </span>By being a part of that marketing effort, I am 10 times more likely to buy something than if I had just seen an ad in a magazine.<span> </span>My opinion of the company is more favorable if they like “giving back” to the consumer.<span> </span>And I can’t tell you how many products I have become brand-loyal to because the sponsor sent a small sample or a prize that I went on to love forever.<span> </span>Sweepstakes are marketing genius.<span> </span>And if you figure that the cost of these sweepstakes campaigns are figured into the cost of the product that we all buy anyway, shouldn’t you get in on that sweet deal?</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Sweeping can be a fun way to win prizes you can’t afford to buy.<span> </span>If you’re already spending 2 hours a day on MySpace or playing online Sims games, just pop open that extra browser window and enter a few now and again.<span> </span>Who knows, you just might be a winner!</p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/linsey-knerl">Linsey Knerl</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/sweeping-101-what-the-real-winners-know">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-2">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Making Extra Cashmaking extra moneysweepstakeswinningMon, 06 Aug 2007 13:21:32 +0000Linsey Knerl957 at http://www.wisebread.com